According to the state-run Student News Network, President Pezeshkian said in a televised address on Saturday that foreign powers linked some innocent people to the movement, pushed them onto the streets, and incited them to tear the country apart by creating hatred and division among the people.
He said that in normal protests, people do not take up weapons, kill military personnel, or set fire to ambulances and markets. The government, he added, is ready to engage in dialogue with protesters, listen to their concerns, and address their issues.
The Iranian president said the situation was not merely a social protest, but that foreign powers took advantage of Iran’s internal problems in an attempt to divide society.
According to Iranian authorities, more than 3,000 people were killed during the recent protests, most of them security personnel or civilians who were allegedly targeted by “rioters.” However, human rights organizations have warned that the death toll could be much higher, possibly reaching tens of thousands.
Meanwhile, over the past several weeks, US President Donald Trump has been threatening military action against Iran. A US naval strike group is present in Middle Eastern waters, and Trump has said that the United States is “ready, willing, and able” to strike Iran if necessary.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran is ready for fair and equitable negotiations with the United States, but talks cannot take place under the shadow of threats. He emphasized that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities would never be part of any negotiations.
Separately, the United States has imposed sanctions on Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, along with several senior officials and officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, over incidents that occurred during the protests.
According to the US Treasury Department, the sanctions are aimed at holding accountable those accused of involvement in actions against protesters.
